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The nightmare videos of childrens' YouTube — and what's wrong with the internet today | James Bridle

TED1 HN recommender · recommended in 1 month, 2018–2025
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talk · general · 2018–2025 on HN

Writer and artist James Bridle shows how strange and disturbing children's videos on YouTube, from surprise eggs to algorithmic mashups, are produced for ad revenue. He argues they reveal problems in a data-driven internet.

Cited to explain how YouTube's algorithms produce appalling content aimed at children, and as a reason to keep kids off the platform.

Internet culture & memesFuturism & technology and societyMedia, journalism & propaganda#youtube#children#algorithms#tedtalk

5 comments from Hacker News

@truebosko2018-10 · in “ChuChu TV is responsible for widely-viewed toddler content on YouTube”

Everytime I think of YouTube and kids I think of those bizarre videos featuring Elsa and Spiderman that are oddly disturbing and borderline erotic. This TED talk sums up why I'll never allow my child to go on YouTube. What a mess they've allowed. ▶ this video

Recommends View on HN
@lm284692025-07 · in “YouTube to be included in Australia's social media ban for children under 16”

> YouTube is such an invaluable learning resource that I would have serious qualms about denying a school-age child access to it. Give a 5 years old unlimited access to youtube and witness the cesspool it is. Nobody is saying youtube is 100% bad, but people who don't know better (kids for example) are easily manipulated in watching the most brain rot content you can imagine, for hours and hours. It's an ocean of shit within which you might find a few gems if you know what you want or if you get extremely lucky. ▶ this video

Critical View on HN
@tb3032019-06 · in ““Apps intended for kids may not include third-party advertising or analytics””

Yeah, there's youtube kids! link ▶ this video link 2018 you say? surely they've fixed things by now? nope link etc. and that's why none of my kids' devices have youtube on them anymore

Critical View on HN
@nlstitch2018-10 · in “Twice as long – life expectancy around the world”

Ouch man; no need to make this personal. Thanks for agreeing with me though. Here you go; 14% increase of confused people (dutch) ; link Living longer but sick longer; link link TED talk about children getting overstimulated by Youtube: ▶ this video

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@frabcus2018-08 · in “Google tracks your movements, like it or not”

Google's a monopoly in multiple areas by any reasonable definition. So yes, I hope they are being entangled in a Cambridge Analytica type scandal. It is the job of the press to do so. Personally, I think the YouTube recommendation algorithm is a huge problem. Once everyone understands it, that will be the relevant scandal. How YouTube's recommendation algorithm makes everyone more extreme, in all directions: link How YouTube's recommendation algorithm causes creation of appalling content targeted at children: ▶ this video It is harming our society in deep and scary ways.

Critical View on HN

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